John Hites, Sr. (3 Jun 1762 – 7 Oct 1834)

Born on 3 Jun 1762 at Strasbourg, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France, John Hites came to America with the army of General Marquis de Lafayette, departing France on 2 May 1780 and arriving at Newport, Rhode Island on 10 Jun 1780 (37, 579). He was among 5,500 French soldiers who landed at Rhode Island. When he arrived in Rhode Island, John was 18 years old.

John Hites enlisted in the Continental Army near New York City, New York and remained in New York until Sep 1781. He was present at the Siege of Yorktown, Virginia and at the defeat of the army of Lord Cornwallis. Following the Siege of Yorktown, John Hites was assigned to a Continental Army headquarters at Williamsburg, Virginia where he served as a messenger carrying letters to other military stations. In the spring of 1782, he marched to Baltimore, Maryland under General Rochamebeau where he ended his service at the close of the American Revolution (37).

On 5 Sep 1783, John Hites married Catherine Brouwer in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. At their marriage, Catherine Brouwer was 15 years old, and John Hites was 21 (792). Their first known child Michael Hites was born on 21 Sep 1787, likely in Maryland.

Between 1790 and 1809, the John Hites family migrated from Maryland, first to Virginia where John Hites, Jr. was born on 18 Feb 1790 and George Hites was born in about 1796. Before 1809, the John Hites family migrated from Virginia to Jefferson County, Ohio where John appears on a 1809 tax list for the Knox Township (183).

The 1820 federal census of Island Creek Township in Jefferson County, Ohio enumerates the household of John Hites, older than 45 years, and a female, presumably Catherine (Brouwer) Hites, also over 45 years old (554). Living nearby were the households of John Hites, Jr., Chrisly Hites, presumably Christian Hites, and Michael Hites.

The 1830 federal census of Prairie, Holmes County, Ohio enumerates the households of John Hites and his son Michael Hites on the same page (555). The census enumerates John Hites of Prairie Township in Holmes County, Ohio as 60–69 years old and his wife, presumably Catherine Hites as 70–79 years old.

A Revolutionary War pension application by John Hites states that he was 70 years of age on 24 Jun. The date of birth contradicts other information stating that John Hites was born on 3 Jun 1762.

John Hites died at Millersburg in Holmes County, Ohio on 7 Oct 1834 (579). He is buried in the Works’ Hill Cemetery in Holmes County, Ohio.

Notes and Comments

In a note to his transcription of the pension application of John Hites, C. Leon Harris explains:

General Marquis de Lafayette was in France on a diplomatic mission from 11 Jan 1779 till 17 Mar 1780. Apparently, John Hite sailed with Rochambeau on 2 May 1780 and arrived at Newport Rhode Island on 10 Jun 1780.

A 1809 Jefferson County, Ohio tax list lists John Heits, who is assumed to have been John Hites.

The 1830 federal census of Prairie, Holmes County, Ohio records John Hites as John Hite.

John Hites land in Holmes County, Ohio was located at approximately:40°35'59.00"N latitude, 81°55'41.00"W longitude.

In 1937, Earl F. Hites erected a newer gravestone at the Works’ Hill Cemetery to mark the graves of John and Catherine Hites.

Holmes County, Ohio was created on 20 Jan 1824 from parts of Coshocton, Tuscarawas, and Wayne Counties.

The 1810 U.S. Federal Census of Ohio is lost with the exception of partial records for Washington County.